Picked up a few used albums (“I See Good Spirits & I See Bad Spirits” and “Crime for All Seasons”)upon seeing them mentioned on the boards and because of their ties to Ministry and industrial in general. I was really impressed with them… kinda like White Zombie without the mindless guitars.
Anyone have any info/recommendations on them?
I See Good… and Kooler Than Jesus are my first choices.
watch out for Hit and Run Holiday…
Everything prior to around 1995 or so (whenever Hit & Run Holiday came out) is top notch (though some dislike 13 Above the Night, which is admittedly very disco).
Live, I’ve seen them three times in the last 10 years and they get worse every time. Frankie looks more and more messed up. Kinda sad really.
“Confessions of a Knife” is by far and away my favorite album by them. In fact it’s one of my top 5 industrial dance albums. Fantastic album through and through. Even the “filler” cuts like “Hand in Hand” are extraordinarily good.
Yeah, they’ve definitely had a steady decline. When they opened for Ministry it was just sad.
“Confessions of a Knife”
I second this. Their best album - hands down.
Next “I see good spirits…”
THe early stuff is where it’s at up til 95 or so. After that they are hit and miss but still have some soild tracks.
I saw them in Providence a couple months ago and they actually were REALLY good. Not as wacky as the heyday but They were tight and they sounded great. After the 04 tour w/ ministry I figured they were done but I don’t think so now. Good to see them in a small venue. They ripped. Made me reevaluate the last several records as well.
And Marsten (Buzz) is one of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with the couple times I’ve met him in PVD. He’s got some great stories.
Another vote for Confessions Of A Knife. Solid album, very much a product of the Wax Trax ‘sound’, easily their best, in my opinion. I started losing interest around ‘Sexplosion’. Like Slack says, follow up with ‘Good Spirits’.
Saw em in 2004 in Cincy on the HOM tour. In all fairness wasnt the worst thing I’d seen. Didn’t Frank get the drop for being constantly drunk?
That would explain their pathetic showing in Tempe. I was looking forward to seeing them, and they really disappointed. Re-starting songs, forgetting lyrics, they were a mess that night.
1002
Picked up a few used albums (“I See Good Spirits & I See Bad Spirits” and “Crime for All Seasons”)
If you like those(to me “crime” is unlistenible, and “I see” is REALLY dark), you should definitely get “confessions of a knife” “Kooler than Jesus” EP, and I’d even say “sexplosion”, if you like some fun CD’s. On side note, i’m probably one of the very few that bought there new CD, and I gotta say, it’s easily the best thing i’ve heard from them for a VERY, VERY long time, well over 10 years. Also saw them this year in LA, was quite fun in a retro way(although poor song selection, no Kooler or sex on wheals, easily the 2 songs they’re best known for).
hands down the worst live show i ever saw when they toured with lords of acid in 95. so i didn’t bother watching them when they opened for ministry. that being said i love their first couple eps and albums. everything up though confessions.
Definitely the first thing you should pick up is the self-titled Rykodisc album. It’s a re-release of Kooler Than Jesus plus 3 other singles/eps, and some negligible bonus tracks. I’m the rare person that thinks the later years are still good, or in some cases better than the earlier releases. 13 Above the Night is probably my favorite of the rest of the albums. Beyond that, it depends what you liked more between I See Good Spirits and Crime For All Seasons, because those two pretty much represent the opposite ends of what they’ve done musically.
Another vote for “Confessions of a Knife”. One of my favorite albums. The whole damn things pretty terrific, big fan of that slow burner “Hand in Hand”
13 Above the Night. I dig it. “Disco”? Yeah, elements, but what album of theirs didn’t. It’s as dark as their earlier stuff, in my opinion.
Mad respect, Prongers… looks like I’ll be ordering “Confessions of a Knife” very soon.
I love the darkness of “I See Good Spirits…” (especially on “Do You Fear [For Your Child]” and “…And This Is What the Devil Does!”), but I’m really diggin’ the nasty, dancy stuff of “Crime for All Seasons” (totally love “Sexy Sucker” and “Mr. & Mrs. Bottomless Pit”).
I also picked up “Gay, Black, and Married” a couple days ago… it’s gotta be one of the funnest records I’ve spun in a while. Now I finally have something for when I’m in the mood for KMFDM and Earth, Wind & Fire.
well if you dig the disco stuff - the you MUST pick up sexplosion. its also when i started to lose interest, but - its is a fun album.
well if you dig the disco stuff - the you MUST pick up sexplosion. its also when i started to lose interest, but - its is a fun album.
Will do.
How come there’s no forum for the TKK online? And very little internet presence at all? I finally downloaded the bonus tracks from the Ryko reissues of I See Good Spirits, Confessions, Sexplosion, and Crime For All Seasons, but I really want to know more about these tracks. Back From Beyond and Confessions Pt. III sound like they were recorded at the time of their respective albums, but Farout 1 and the remixes could have come from anytime. Any ideas?
How come there’s no forum for the TKK online? And very little internet presence at all?
That’s what I wanted to know, man. The closest thing they have is their official MySpace, and that’s well, MySpace.
As for the bonus material, I’ve no idea.
A Daisy Chain 4 Satan is probably in my top 10 songs of all time. That said, I agree with most everyone else: early stuff is top notch with steady decline through the years. I thought Confessions was pretty listenable though. They are terrible live.
Word.
I think my favorite still remains “I See Good Spirits…”, but I think their best work is definitely the “Kooler Than Jesus”/“Cuz It’s Hot” EPs. They’re both a great balance of darkness and groove.